Double Edge
by tetsuryu
Summary: "'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." Oneshot/Drabble Collection for Miraxus Week 2014
1. Day 1: Goodbye

So I already did something related to Fantasia (my initial idea for this prompt) in kintsukuroi so I thought I'd interpret this prompt a _little_ differently. A slightly humorous approach with twinges of seriousness (I hope)/sadness in this so I hope you'll like it! :)

**Summary: **Goodbyes are not always bad.

**Disclaimer: **Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.

* * *

_Day 1: Farewell/Goodbye_

**_tombstone made of wood_**

It was the first time they'd seen Laxus run.

Calm and collected as he usually was, he never bothered to run around the guild like a certain pyromaniac screaming for a challenge, nor was he a fan of meaningless physical exertion outside of a job or a battle. He'd usually just turn himself into lightning, anyway, it was much faster and more efficient than running.

Which was why it was absolutely mindboggling for the members of the Fairy Tail Guild as Laxus jumped from the second story and began sprinting out the door. The immediate response was to turn to his loyal Raijinshuu, but it didn't prove much help as they could only see Evergreen scowling at the new permanent fixture Elfman, Bickslow looking confused, and Freed sobbing – whether of true sadness or just because Laxus looked _so magnificent as he ran, _no one knew. The answer seemed obvious, however, as they watched Lisanna dash out not long after Laxus, struggling to keep up with the man's accelerated pace.

"Elf-nii! Get over here!" Scrambling up from his seat, Elfman too stumbled after the duo, tripping over Evergreen's legs in the process and earning himself a beating.

"Something probably happened to Mira," Levy observed, her gaze directed away from the chaos and at the bar instead, where Kinana seemed oddly lonely as the only bartender.

With the mystery solved, the mages of Fairy Tail soon returned to their trademark partying, knowing that if anyone were to successfully help Mirajane, Laxus would be the one. Laxus, on the other hand, only seemed more panicked as time passed, resisting the urge to turn himself into lightning to increase his speed as he didn't want to leave the demon's sister alone.

It wasn't long before he arrived at the Strauss household, his worry being his driving force up the countless flights of stairs before he barged into the only door left ajar on the floor. Laxus came to a halt as his sensitive hearing immediately picked up the sound of Mirajane's sobs. He took a deep breath, turning around to catch Lisanna's eye and earning a weak thumbs-up from the girl, before marching determinedly in the direction of the sound. He only hoped she wasn't hurt too badly – that it was something he could easily fix.

The first thing he saw was her kneeling on the floor in the far end of her bedroom, her long platinum hair cascading down her back in waves. Her shoulders raked as she cried, and Laxus winced at a particularly loud wail before he reached out and laid a hand firmly on Mirajane's shoulder.

"Mira-" Laxus gulped inaudibly as she turned to look at him, her bright aquamarine eyes overflowing with tears that ran down her porcelain face. Mirajane had _always_ been his weakness.

But then a frown marred his initially confused face, as his eyes zeroed in on what she was cradling in her arms – a… rabbit?

Hesitantly, Laxus squatted down to Mirajane's eye level, the hand on her shoulder reaching to pull her into his embrace instead. "What… what's wrong, Mira?"

"It's Alexander," she sobbed, hugging the white rabbit closer to her chest. It was then Laxus realised that the rabbit was limp; he could hear neither its heartbeat nor its breathing. "I just woke up this morning and went to check on Alexander, and he… he wasn't moving!"

Finally understanding the reason for her tears, Laxus had to breath a sigh of relief at the fact that she wasn't physically harmed, but then grimaced as he knew he wasn't good at consolation.

"Mira… Uh, Alexander… Wasn't Alexander a dog?"

Yup, he _definitely _wasn't good at consoling.

Appalled, Mira turned to him with a deadly glare, and Laxus shivered involuntarily in fear. "That's _Alexandria_!"

"Yes, yes… I knew that Mira, I was just trying to… make a joke…?"

He knew he'd said the wrong thing as Mirajane only sobbed harder. "It's not a joke, Laxus! My poor Alexander is gone… and… and I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye!"

Laxus sighed as he decided to seat himself properly instead, adjusting his position so that he could pull her to his chest. He glanced at the sobbing girl in his arms, knowing that she was highly unpredictable, and when Lisanna had burst into the guild that morning telling him that _It's Mira-nee! She's- she's crying uncontrollably and- _he'd been sincerely hoping she was okay and swearing that he would kill the bastard that caused her pain, but he definitely did not expect her pet – when did she even get the furball, anyway? – to be dead.

"Mira, Mira, it's okay," he said quietly, petting her gently on the head. "Goodbyes aren't always bad. Your rabbit would be happy he had you as an owner, you know? He's hell lucky to have been under your care. Heck, even I'm jealous that you love it so much when I didn't even know it existed! Everyone knows how motherly and loving you are, so I bet– no, I _know_ you were great as its parent…"

The lightning mage could feel himself heating up in embarrassment as he attempted to console Mirajane. He was not one of many words, but he believed that Mirajane was worth his time and effort, and it wasn't like he was lying to make her feel better, definitely not – he believed Mirajane was the most loving and caring girl he had ever met.

Looking down as he felt her head shift, he watched as she brought a hand up to wipe her tears, looking up at Laxus with regained vigour. "You're right, Laxus! Alexander is probably in a better place now, and he's happy because I fed him and played with him all the time."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Laxus nods fervently in agreement. "I'll help you bury it."

It wasn't long before Alexander had been buried in the woods near the Lisanna and Natsu's old hut, and Mirajane had taken the liberty to (or rather, forced Laki to) make a tombstone out of wood for her beloved rabbit. The couple stood in front of the tombstone, Laxus with his hands shoved in his pockets and Mirajane wiping a stray tear from her face.

"Goodbye, Alexander." Mirajane smiled, petting the tombstone with her hand. "I hope you were as happy as I was during the time we spent together."

"I'm sure he was, Mira." Mirajane's smile only widened at Laxus' words, giving the tombstone one last pet before turning and slipping her hand into Laxus'. Laxus, on the other hand, was simply glad that he had somehow managed to _fix_ Mirajane, despite his lack of experience in the area of emotions.

With every passing day, he only felt as if he was learning more and more about Mirajane, discovering new sides of her that only increased his affection, if anything else. Speaking of affection, however…

"So, Laxus, you said you were _jealous_ because I love Alexander?"

* * *

_Also I wanted to explore their relationship in everyday, non-life threatening situations :) Thanks for reading! _

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	2. Day 2: AU

**Summary: **If love is a crime, I'd do my time. Director/Actor AU.

**Disclaimer: **Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.

* * *

_Day 2: AU_

**_if love is a crime_**

"And… cut!" Mirajane called, her vision focused on the monitor in front of her. She looked up as the actors relaxed, catching the gaze of a particular blonde. "Let's take five, everyone."

"How did I go, _director_?"

Schooling her expression into one of disinterest, she stood up to address the man who was walking towards her as the film crew dispersed, his tall physique coming to a stop just a little too close in front of her.

"Not bad at all, Laxus Dreyar. You should look to filming action movies more often, they'd pay you just to stand there frowning and holding a gun." Laxus raised a mocking eyebrow as he stared into her eyes searchingly, their proximity only giving him a better look into the bright blue. "It's no wonder you were highly recommended to play the antagonist."

"Praise from the director herself, now that's good news," he grinned cockily. "Does that mean I'll get more scenes, Miss Strauss?"

"Hmm, I don't know about that, big guy," she replied, her slender hand reaching upwards to brush the dirt off of the actor's heavy coat, not missing the way his eyes narrowed just a fraction as she did so. "You'll have to make _arrangements_ with the scriptwriter if you want that to happen."

Laxus' gaze flickered from the beauty in front of him to the bald man hulking over a stack of papers in the distance, before he scoffed and stepped away from Mirajane. "I'm not that desperate, Mira."

"Oh, really?" she hummed, her expressionless façade giving way to a light smirk. She turned and headed in the direction of the busy crew, leaving him to mull over her words.

A smirk of his own grew on Laxus' face as he stared after her retreating figure, watching her hips sway lightly as she moved. "_Yet._"

* * *

"Cut, cut, cut!" Mirajane growled, glaring at the two actors from her spot behind the monitors. "You're doing this all_ wrong_!"

The actress straightened her apron as filming ceased, moving away from the edge of the rooftop she was standing on. Laxus too sighed and flipped away from the female, leaning against the low wall of the roof despite the dangerous lack of railing. Mirajane frowned as she reviewed the filmed scene, highly unsatisfied with their portrayal. While the actress was supposed have caught her longtime fling escaping after the police had interrupted his meal at a café, both actors were looking way too emotionless for her liking, and the prolonged filming was doing nothing to help her rising anger.

"Look, I know you're a model before you are an actress and this is your only scene, but you're not supposed to just stand there looking pretty! Deliver your lines with emotions!" she advised, addressing the extra. Receiving an awkward nod in response, she then turned to the blonde male, her blue eyes ablaze with anger. "I know just praised you, Dreyar, but that doesn't mean you get to be cocky. I need to you to look more _seductive_, charming a girls' socks off so that you don't get into trouble. Put yourself into your characters' shoes! Now let's try that again."

Laxus fought the urge to grin at Mirajane's outburst, knowing that she had always took her work extremely seriously and was a perfectionist in every way possible. That _was_ the main reason for her popularity as a director, and Laxus had to admit that he found some sort of sadistic pleasure in pushing her buttons. After all, he had only heard of the demonic rage she was capable of, and couldn't wait to see it for himself.

He cleared his throat and adjusted his posture, pushing himself off the wall and moving closer to the actress. He ran his fingers through his hair, waiting for the Director's call.

Mirajane settled back into her chair, nodding at the film crew before focusing forward again. "Action!"

"I didn't know you were a criminal."

"I wouldn't say criminal, babe. I just, break a few laws sometimes."

"But you're on the run!"

"Well-"

"Cut!"

A tense mood fell over the cast and crew as they glanced apprehensively at the Director, her face pulled into a deep frown as she glared at the monitor. As if making up her mind, she stood up abruptly and marched into the scene.

"Give me your apron," she lifted an open palm to the actress, who hurriedly removed it and handed it over. "Let me show you what I mean."

The camera crew glanced warily at each other as Mirajane looped the apron over her head, before the head cameraman gave a nod for them to resume filming.

Clearing her throat and smoothing her hair down into a low ponytail, Mirajane moved into the scene, glaring up at Laxus fierily. "Get it right this time, _Dreyar_."

Laxus smirked cockily and exaggeratedly gestured for her to take her spot, and the previous actress quickly made her way behind the monitor to observe.

"...Action!" the assistant director shouted.

The lights dimmed to highlight the dark atmosphere, and Mirajane glanced up at the blonde suspiciously, crossing her arms over her chest. "I didn't know you were a criminal," she spat, and Laxus only laughed.

"I wouldn't say criminal, beautiful," he raised a hand and brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face, taking the opportunity to reduce the distance between them. "I just, break a few laws sometimes."

"But you're on the run?"

"Well, what can I say," he shrugged, shuffling just a little closer. "I'm always in high demand."

Mirajane scoffed at his answer, defiantly meeting his piercing gaze. "For all the wrong reasons, I'm sure."

"Ah, you must want me for the _right_ reasons then."

"Me? Wanting you?"

Laxus laughed at her incredulous reply, before closing the distance between them and pushing himself up against her. Mirajane unconsciously took a step backwards, backing into the low wall, before gasping as she leaned too far behind. A quick arm shot out and wrapped around her waist to prevent her fall, Laxus using his body to pin her to the wall to secure her. She could hear her heart pounding loudly in her chest, whether of her near-death experience or because of the attractive man currently pressed up against her, she wasn't sure (maybe it was both?), but she quickly put on an expressionless mask against his flirtatious smile.

"You won't tell anyone about _us_, will you babe?"

Mirajane smirked at the implication. "Are you ashamed?"

"Ashamed? Definitely not. Why would I be when I've got a beauty in my arms? I'm just _worried_ about your safety, you see. It'll be disastrous for the both of us if anyone found out…"

"I-"

"…Found out about our rendezvous, our secrets, and our nights spent_ together_," he purred.

"You tricked me, you bastard!"

The arm Laxus had around her waist slipped lower at that, and he moved his face closer so that their noses brushed.

"That's where you're wrong, love. We've always been in a… mutual understanding." Mirajane's eyes widened as Laxus leaned in even more, tilting his head slightly for a better angle. "_Let me show you what I mean."_

Her eyelids unconsciously fluttered close as he finally closed the gap, pressing his lips onto hers and pulling her up from her arched position. She balled her fists on his chest where they rested, neither of them breaking the contact even as he deepened the kiss even more. His tongue darted out and licked experimentally at her lips, smirking into the kiss as she hungrily parted them for him. He'd always liked her for her feisty attitude, and it was no different as their rough kiss felt more like a fight for dominance. He believed he was winning-

"Cut!"

Mirajane's eyes flew open in surprise and she immediately shoved Laxus away, a hand coming up to her lips as she processed her act of unprofessionalism. Luckily, it seemed that Laxus was the only one that realised she had gotten too carried away. It had felt so_ real_ to her, and she was almost _afraid_ of what it meant for her to have completely identified with the script.

"Director, that was amazing!" the balding scripwriter exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement and glee as he gestured for her to review the footage. "Although you guys made _more_ _than a_ _few_ adlibs, your interpretation of this scene was absolutely marvelous! It's no wonder you were highly recommended to direct this movie."

The young Director could feel her cheeks heating up in embarrassment as the recording played, almost mortified at how natural her exchange with Laxus seemed to be.

"Let's just use this cut, Director. It's the best we've had so far. You fit the role absolutely with that apron on, anyway, and the lighting is too dark to make out your face fully. Goes with the whole mysterious mood, don't you think?"

Mirajane tore her eyes away from the screen as they kissed, putting her focus on maintaining a pokerface. "Y-yes, whatever you say, sir."

"Oh, don't call me that young lady. Just because I'm a little older than you, pfft! Ah, people nowadays are so flexible, and your professionalism is stunning! I know _I _wouldn't have been able to pull off such a passionate kiss…" Mirajane excused herself as the scriptwriter continued to sing high praise of her, moving away from the filming location and into the rooftop's stairwell to clear her head.

Any thoughts of an undisturbed argument with her self were shattered, however, as she entered the stairwell and found the one reason for her annoyance already occupying her desired spot. Being so busy trying to pretend she was completely aware of her acting, she didn't even notice when her co-actor had slipped away, and now she had to face the consequences.

Laxus' eyes were on her immediately once she came into view, his thick blonde eyebrows pulled downwards into a frown at her slightly panicked appearance. Deciding to clear the tension, he offered her his trademark smirk, nodding a head in the general direction of the filming.

"So how did I go this time, director? Good enough for you yet?"

Bright cerulean eyes widened at his question, before they narrowed into a haughty expression. "Yes, Dreyar. That was very satisfactory."

"You should consider being an actress, Director," Laxus chuckled dryly, his orange eyes dull despite his teasing tone. "You were _very_ convincing."

She studied the seemingly defeated look in his eyes as he gazed at her, and a stray passing comment flitted through her mind in that second.

_"__I know I wouldn't have been able to pull off such a passionate kiss…" _

Mirajane laughed loudly and genuinely for the first time that day, her mood considerably elevating after a strenuous day.

"Well, Dreyar, maybe I wasn't acting at all."

* * *

_**A/N:** I TRIED DRAWING PARALLELS. Also late nights aren't good for me I get way to eccentric. Thank you for the positive feedback! :) I hope you liked this one too! :)_

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	3. Day 3: Skeletons in the Closet

**Summary: **A little honesty never hurt anyone.

**Disclaimer: **Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.

* * *

_Day 3: Skeletons in the Closet_

**_take it to the grave_**

"Mirajane, I think this is completely compulsory in order for our relationship to work."

Said Take-Over Mage could only stare, baffled, as her fairly new boyfriend stood in front of her with a serious expression on his face. "…Laxus?"

"You heard me, Mira. We need to come clean with each other, a hundred percent honesty." There wasn't so much as a twitch in Laxus' eye as he said this, seemingly completely genuine as he stared at her sternly.

"Laxus… what's gotten into you?" she asked, her face twisted into one of concern at his odd behaviour. The lightning mage had barged into the guild that morning and made a beeline for the bar, not even bothering to sit down in his usual seat and instead immediately stating that something was wrong with their relationship.

Laxus sighed at her muddled and worried expression, relaxing a little from his rigid posture and uncrossing his folded arms. "Look, Mira, I think we lack a certain amount of trust between us."

The look of hurt that flashed across her face was immediate, and Laxus could feel his heart squeeze painfully as he watched her slowly put down the glass she was polishing.

"Wh-what?"

"Mira…"

"Laxus, I- I trust you with my _life_!" she all but shouted, and an awkward silence enveloped the guild as they watched tears well up in Mirajane's eyes. Natsu and Gray were restraining Erza as she seemed to be about to punish Laxus for making Mirajane cry, while Lisanna had her head buried in Elfman's chest as he held her, an extremely confused frown pulling down on his features.

"That's not what I meant, Mira," he assured her, and despite the relief she felt she was still uneasy to let her guard down completely. "…Can we… take this somewhere else?" he then asked, eyes sweeping over the entirety of the guild with displeasure.

She nodded and followed him as he led her down into the wine cellar, believing that the distance was just sufficient for them not to be overheard by the sensitive hearing of the multiple Fairy Tail dragon slayers. An uncomfortable silence settled beween the two as they stood, overwhelmed by the musky smell of the cellar and the fermenting alcohol. Fidgeting with her fingers, Mirajane could only wait impatiently as Laxus breathed another sigh, carding his fingers through his hair before folding his arms across his chest once again.

"Mira, I've been taking our relationship into serious consideration, and I know we're only a couple months in but we've known each other since we were kids and-"

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Mirajane could feel her heart dropping in anguish at the unpleasant thoughts that infiltrated her mind. "Laxus… Are… are you breaking up with me?"

The resulting blanch from the said male managed to let Mira feel a tiny bit better, paired with the comforting thought that not _all_ hope was lost. Yet.

"What the hell?! Where did that come from?" he shouted, the frown on his face looking almost _offended_ as it deepened.

"Then… why…"

"No, Mira, you've got the wrong idea. What I'm trying to ask you is, what is your deepest, darkest secret?"

"My _what_?"

"You know, a secret? Something you've never told anyone else about? The skeleton in your closet?"

"I know what a secret is!" Mirajane blushed. Although infinitely thankful that her wild imagination was proven wrong by the man she loved, she couldn't help the embarrassment as she thought about the _skeleton _that immediately surfaced in her mind. "Why do you… want to know?"

Ears burning, Laxus turned his head away to avoid eye contact, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly as he did so. "Look, Mira. You're really special to me and… and I want to make sure I'm not hiding anything from you, so I hope you can trust me with your secrets, too."

Mirajane grinned. "What's your secret then?"

"I…" Laxus sighed as he looked his girlfriend in the eye, the determined bright orange clashing with her curious brilliant blue. "I was the one that set the guild on fire when we were kids."

A brief silence followed.

Then, "it was _you?!_" she gasped. "Oh Laxus… Master was _so _angry, and everyone thought it was Natsu losing control over his flames again!"

"Yeah, yeah I _know_. I was a stupid kid that tried playing with matches, okay? I bailed once it got out of control."

Mirajane shook her head with a frown, expression akin to one chiding a child. "That's not very nice of you, Laxus… Rebuilding the guild took a long time! And you burned all the paperwork to a crisp, too!"

"Well, it wasn't my fault that Natsu got angry because he was blamed and accidentally set the office on fire, too!" he tried, but could only look down in shame at the disapproving look on Mirajane's face. "Alright, I'm _sorry._" He groaned.

"Good boy, you better apologise to Master and to Natsu, too!

"To Natsu? No way!" His stubbornness could not hold a candle to the Demon's glare, however, and he rolled his eyes in agreement. "Fine, fine I'll do whatever you want."

Mirajane beamed and nodded gleefully in reply, as Laxus huffed unhappily.

"Enough about me, Mira. You haven't told me about your secret." The blush that immediately flamed across her porcelain skin only piqued the Dragon Slayer's curiousity even more, and he couldn't help himself as he took a step closer to Mirajane to survey her unease.

"That bad?"

"Um… I, um…"

"Come on, Mira, I've already come clean with a not-so-glorious anecdote from my past, you should too."

She regretted instantly once she sneaked a glance at Laxus' face – all genuine curiousity that seemed so pleasantly _innocent_ on one of the guild's best S Class Mages. But Mirajane knew he would be absolutely disgusted if she even tried to call him innocent, after all, he was known and feared for his power and might.

Heaving a purposefully loud sigh, she closed her eyes in dismay. "You'll have to promise me not to laugh."

"Laugh? I won't laugh at you, Mira."

"Just promise me!" A raised eyebrow and a reluctant nod later, Mirajane finally decided to reveal the "skeleton" she was being overly protective about.

"I…"

"You…?"

"I… _I have a tattoo on my butt!_" she rushed, squeezing her eyes shut in fear of his reaction. The stale silence that followed had Mirajane popping one eye open in anxiety, only to see a completely stoic expression where a frown usually took it's place.

"You have a tattoo. On your butt." Laxus deadpanned.

Her blushed brightened but she nodded nonetheless. "Yeah, what you said."

"Please tell me the backstory."

The tension bled out of Mirajane's shoulders as she saw that he didn't have a particularly negative reaction, and she moved to sit on a nearby stool with a defeated slump.

"It was before Lisanna got sucked into Edolas, okay? I thought tattoos were badass and I wanted one, but I was afraid of the pain, so the tattoo artist told me to get it at the butt where it's full of fats and it'll hurt the least." She explained, her voice barely louder than a whisper. Laxus pulled up another stool and settled beside her, his face contemplative as he listened to her story.

"So… what did you get?"

"Oh, it was nothing special, it's just 'Demon' to remind myself of my power."

"…Right… But… you model for bikinis all the time and no one has ever seen it?

Mirajane was seriously getting tired of blushing so many times in one conversation, but the embarrassment of her teenage decisions were weighing especially heavily on her at this present moment. "I was scared so I told him to make it small… and it's just below the waistband so the bikinis that I wear cover it perfectly."

"Hmm…" The lightning mage's thoughtful expression gave nothing of his opinion on the issue, and Mirajane could feel herself growing annoyed at his lack of a response.

"Well, what made you ask about secrets, anyway?"

Laxus shrugged despite the fast reddening of his ears; Mirajane was glad that she wasn't the only embarrassed one, and casually crossed his arms across his broad chest, where his own tattoo lay. "Lisanna told me the most important thing in a relationship is trust, and that you'd appreciate it if we exchanged our deepest secrets."

"She _what?_" she spoke through gritted teeth, her quickly darkening aura causing even Laxus to break out in sweat. "She did this on purpose! Lisanna's the only one that knows about my tattoo… Oh, Lisanna… Just you wait for what _advice_ I'm giving Bickslow…" The fact that he could practically see the gears turning in her head sent shivers down Laxus' spine – he knew that Mirajane was the number one person you did not want to piss off.

He sat up a little straighter as something crossed his mind, along with fumes of rage hotter than the flames that burnt the guild down so many years back. "Wait, so the tattoo artist saw you _naked_?"

"Oh, don't look so murderous, darling," she giggled, her anger dissipating at her boyfriend's jealousy. "The tattoo artist was female. I wouldn't have let a boy touch me like that!"

"Good, you better not," huffed Laxus, seemingly satisfied by her response.

But then the same brooding expression that had gotten Mirajane mildly riled up was apparent on his face again, and he slowly turned to look at the platinum-haired mage with a serious expression on his face.

"So, you have a tattoo on your butt, right?"

"…Yes…?" She was almost afraid at the slight smirk that tugged on his lips.

"Can I see?"

* * *

_**A/N:** I was contemplating on letting her tattoo say 'FENCE' so you sit... on the fence... get it?_

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	4. Day 4: Angels & Demons

**Warning! **Character death, disturbing imagery.

**Summary: **Demons run when a good man goes to war.

**Disclaimer: **Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.

* * *

_Day 4: Angels &amp; Demons_

**_succumb to the shadows_**

_Demons run when a good man goes to war  
Night will fall and drown the sun  
__When a good man goes to war_

The field was a desolate black, dark like the charred remains of the once beautiful green. Thick smoke fogged the surroundings making it hard to see and signaling the aftermath of destruction, only further dampening the spirits of the surviving. But it was war, and war was never pleasant.

Shouts and screams tore through the silence of the night, the attempted courage and anguished cries only lighting the battlefield alight with renewed vigour – they were tired, but they _had _to fight.

It all seemed to happen in the blink of an eye, when the country was invaded and all of a sudden it was ruination and annihilation. Who knew the neighbouring Bosco would set it sights on the riches of Fiore? The attack was sudden and brutal. It was least expected, but the advantage of surprise allowed the successful wreckage of large parts of Fiore. It was war, and all of Fiore's mages were deployed to fight.

Mirajane had never wanted a part in war. She was the peace-loving barmaid and part-time S Class Mage of Fairy Tail, and never ensued in meaningless fighting nor destruction. But there was nothing she could do to even try to prevent the battles, it was _defense_, and not offense. In the field of blazing red and mournful black, she could only close her eyes and pretend that it was all a dream – that all the members of the guild were still alive, drinking and partying and going out on jobs, and not fighting to their deaths in an attempt to avenge their fallen comrades. Her heart clenched painfully every time she thought of those who sacrificed to stop the war. They would never be forgotten and they would be_ honoured. _

Her sobs only intensified even while she fought off waves of non-mage soldiers, her blasts irregular as the sadness washed over her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. It was no time to cry, but it was also no time to have cohesion in her thoughts. All she knew how to do was to _push back the enemy line, prevent them from coming onto Magnolia soil- _but she wanted to scream in rejection and crumble to a heap from the destruction. Of her country, her guild, and her _soul. _

Bright flashing lightning brought her to focus immediately, and she watched as Laxus fought his hardest against one of the strongest mages from Bosco's top mage guild. She could see he was trying to bring their fight away from the frontline, away from the less powerful mages and non-mage soldiers, and away from _her_.

"Go!" a voice shouted at her, and she looked down to see Erza rushing to her aid with Jellal not far behind, disarming and knocking out the seemingly never ending wave of soldiers. "Go to Laxus, We'll handle it here."

A nod of appreciation sent her way, Mirajane sped in the direction of the flashing yellow, all the while dodging blasts of magic that were both targeted at her and not. She arrived just in time to block an attack sent at Laxus, using her Satan Soul magic to counter it before it hit him. The resulting explosion gave her a chance to reach his side safely, and no words were needed as they shared a quick, but tight embrace, glad that the other was safe.

"Mira, why did you come?" Laxus asked, his frown deepening as the smoke began to clear. "I don't want to admit it but… he's tough. Get away from here, and _stay safe_."

Steadying herself to join the fight, Mirajane could only let out a tortured, strangled laugh. "There's no such thing as _safe_ anymore."

Crackling electricity was his only response, as their opponent began to clap slowly. "Lovebirds on the battlefield, what a sight to behold," the man mocked, his shoulder-length brown hair sticking to his face and neck whether due to the blood or sweat, it was hard to tell, but the matching brown – or what seemed like brown, it was so charred and stained with red it was hard to tell – coat only served to make him seem larger in might. "I had a lover, too_, before the war took her away."_

"Cut the crap. None of us wanted this war, you can take your hatred out on your own King. He was the one who invaded our country."

The man cackled. "Poor Fioreans, don't have a single clue about the dirt in your monarchy. You're a funny man, but it's too bad I'm sworn to loyalty for my country."

Both Laxus and Mirajane were prepared when the man striked, launching himself towards them with his fist already coated with magic. Although they'd never once fought together before, covering for each other came as a second nature to them and their cooperation was almost a harmony with the way they complemented each other as they fought. A hit meant for Laxus would be blocked by Mirajane, and vice versa, and it was even _easy_ for them to land a few hits amongst the exchanged blows. A powerful Lightning Dragon's Roar sent the man flying backwards, and when he emerged again wiping blood with the back of his hand, he was not alone.

"There's _two _of him?"

The same sinister smirk only looking more cunning when duplicated, and Mirajane swallowed around a dry throat as the men strolled forward, angrier and smugger than ever.

"Figured one of me and two of you was pretty unfair, you know? I had to call my twin – the only possible way to beat the combination of love," one of them said, and Mirajane took him to be the original foe.

"Don't be fooled, Mira, that's Duplication Magic, only one of him should be real."

A high-pitched, exaggerated laughter followed Laxus' statement. "That's basic, Duplication Magic, young man. I'm the real deal. I've created a living, breathing twin. Equally strong and even if you kill me, you won't kill the other!"

With that said, the fight began again, this time with Mira and Laxus each facing a different (or the same?) opponent. Mirajane knew she was no match for the man, she was exhausted from her previous fighting and she was certain her magic was depleting alarmingly quickly, but she couldn't afford to lose. Her loss would mean Laxus' loss as well, and she could _not _allow that to happen.

But she could only block her opponent as he delivered a barrage of attacks, his movements so fast she could only just keep up without being able to return counterattacks of her own. A loud, painful scream tore through the night, a scream that Mirajane recognised to be Lucy's and causing her to momentarily lose focus, but it was enough for her to sustain a direct hit from the man's punch and tossing her out into the field like a ragdoll.

"Mira!" Laxus' bellowed. Mirajane wanted to tell him that she was alright, and that he didn't have to worry, but his lack of attention for a fraction of a second proved _fatal_, and she could only watch, wide-eyed, as a beam of concentrated magic channeled through Laxus' head.

"_Laxus!_"

Crashing to the ground just as Laxus was struck down, Mirajane's lips parted in a silent scream as she took in the sight, her arrival at his side immediate as she shot forward and dropped to her knees.

Her fingers trembled vigourously as she hovered them over his still body – there was nothing she could do, and she knew it, knew it from the countless deaths she had to witness, but none of them had felt like her life was stripped away from her. She could barely feel her heart as it was tortured by her emotions, she could only fall over his body as she begged for something, anything, to feel a slight movement, or to hear shallow breathing, but there was nothing to prove her worse fears wrong.

The first thing she could hear was anguished howling, a wailing so loud and so mournful it shocked her as it realised it was her own. Clutching the crumbled pillar of support she _required_ in her life, Mirajane could only sob at how suddenly he was taken away from her.

"No, no… Laxus… no…" The golden lightning that illuminated her life flickered into oblivion in an instant, but she could still feel the ghost of his love in her empty soul, the most important thing ripped from her brutally and crushed in a matter of seconds. His warmth seemed a thing of the past as she watched the remnants of his life bleed through the hole in his head.

Manic laughter disturbed her in her mourning and she rudely brought back to the present as she felt a painful pull in her hair, tugging her up to meet… three faces?

"I'm sorry beautiful, but I lied. I'm actually part of a triplet!" The smoking end of another of the trio's fists alerted Mirajane to the fact that he was the culprit, but his choice of words only brought about fury.

"_Don't_ call me beautiful. Only Laxus can call me that."

"Too bad he's gone, eh?"

_Red. _

She could only see red as she found her balance and stood, the sudden surge of power was overwhelming – it reminded her of the first time she took over a demon, but no, this was much, _much _stronger. Power welled up within her in a gush; there was no turning back now, she knew. The desire for revenge was the fuel for her to give in to the dark magic inside her.

"_Humans _are the real demons."

A deep purple blur was the only thing visible as Mirajane grabbed Laxus' murderer by the throat and dragged him through the burning ground, the burst of magic completely disintegrating him, as if he never existed in the first place. The man finally knew how to feel fear as he watched his two replicas disappear, the second burning up in a purple orb that encased him and poisoned him from the inside out. Dark purple eyes stared deep into his panicked irises, the intent swimming in them so clear he knew he already had one foot in the grave.

"L-look, if you let me go, I'll negotiate with my King to end the war!"

The hand around his neck only tightened by the second, and his attempts to break free only angered her even more. Screaming in pain as magic welled up in her hands and dug into his flesh, he could only stare in shock as her pupils dilated and he was slowly murdered. It would be his first and last time seeing a real demon.

With deep, resonating cry as a symbol of power and pain, the Demon stood shrouded in purple, her black tail swishing as she slowly headed in the direction of the main battle.

"There won't be a war_. It will be a one-sided annihilation._"

_Demons run, but count the cost  
__The battle's won, but the child is lost  
__When a good man goes to war_


	5. Day 5: Guild Life

**Summary: **He was desperate when he asked the two jokesters of the guild for help, but in hindsight, he should've expected the embarrassment.

**Disclaimer: **Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail

* * *

_Miraxus Week Day 5: Guild Life_

**_satan soulmate_**

"Trust me, Laxus. This is the perfect plan to get you a girlfriend by Christmas."

Glancing warily at the bluenette beside him, Laxus' frown only deepened at his friend's words. He eyed the Seith mage with burning suspicion, before he looked up at the grinning girl in front of him.

"And it's not just _any_ girl, it's the hottest mage in all of Fiore!" Bickslow emphasised, waving a hand to explain the grandeur of his words. "Our very own supermodel Mirajane Strauss!"

"Keep it down, you bastard." Laxus glared, shoving Bickslow onto the floor just as he uttered her name. He unconsciously took a sweeping glance of the guild hall, breathing a small sigh of relief as he saw said supermodel on the other side of the room, serving Gajeel and Levy.

Light giggling brought his attention back to the matter at hand, and he watched as the youngest Strauss sibling scooted nearer to the table, looking around conspiratorially before beckoning him closer. Laxus couldn't help himself as he leaned forward just a fraction, tilting his head so that his ear was facing the Take-Over Mage.

"Don't worry, Laxus. I know my sister. She absolutely _loves_ romantic things, so just follow this script and you'll be set. Besides, she's already pretty fond of you as a friend, so this will be the final game changer!" she winked, her expression a gleeful one and seemingly so truthful that Laxus could feel himself beginning to seriously consider the proposition.

Although wary about the Seith mage that was climbing back up onto the opposite seat after being roughly pushed over, he liked to believe that he could at least trust Lisanna, since she actually _was_ Mirajane's sister and all. Mavis knows he would kill himself before looking to Elfman for help – hell, _he _should be the one helping to matchmake the only male Strauss and the only female member of the Raijinshuu.

Laxus sighed as he rubbed his chin with a hand, glancing between the two overtly excited faces warily. Where was his advisor when he needed him most?

"Where's Freed?"

Bickslow flinched as the green-haired mage was mentioned, before he once again shot out his signature tongue-wagging grin. "Freed, oh, good old Freed. He's just, _busy_, you know? Stuck in the library because he has _so much work to do_. Good man, that one. Always working hard."

"Right…"

"Anyway, Laxus, as we were saying, you just have to ask her out during the party tomorrow! Make it grand."

"Grand?"

If Laxus wasn't so desperate and clueless on how to ask a girl – a girl like Mirajane, no less – out properly, he wouldn't have made a deal with the devils, but he knew he was hopeless without their help, and as he eyed the two in front of him with their cheeky smirks, he found himself wondering if he was making the right decision.

"_Grand_."

* * *

Fairy Tail was renowned for their crazy parties, and this one was no less wild, with boisterous laughter, excessive alcohol, and unnecessary destruction. Laxus could only feel _suffocated_ as he sat brooding in a corner of the guild, surveying the chaotic scene with a nervousness that he skilfully kept from showing on his frowning face. The smell of the roses in the chest pocket of his favourite fur-lined coat were practically _smothering_ him, a reminder of the mission at hand. He knew who he was looking for – there was no mistaking the long, platinum hair that danced around the guild hall, but he didn't know _how_ he should carry out the plan.

His accomplices were no help, however, as they danced around in the center of the guild, occassionally shooting him the _hurry up and do it_ glance. He'd heave a deep sigh and his frown would only deepen whenever he caught their eye. Some members of the guild would look over at him with curiousity, knowing that although Laxus was not an enthusiastic party goer, he would at least have a drink or two and enjoy the festivities, but he was only sitting in the corner looking murderous. The occassional Natsu would pop around trying to chuck something at him to start a fight, but it took Laxus less effort than usual to _literally_ shock him to a stop.

"What's got your panties in a twist, blondie?" Cana smirked, sauntering over and plopping herself down with all the elegance she had while drunk.

Glaring, Laxus only scoffed. "This is the worse party you've guys have ever thrown, Cana."

"_Ha_! Says the party pooper. So, what's the big deal? Too _afraid_ to carry out your little plan?"

Laxus' eyes widened as he straightened from his slouch, looking around nervously before directing his death stare onto the brunette. "How did you know about it?"

"The walls have ears, Dreyar." At his skeptical glance, Cana only waved her tankard dismissively. "No, really. You have three – including you, four – dragon slayers cramped together in a guild hall, you'd be lucky if they only heard a bit of your conversation."

His brows pulling down further, Laxus tried to think back to the time of his conversation with Bickslow and Lisanna yesterday. "But… Natsu was out on a job and there was only Gajeel who was too focused on Levy…" His eyes shot to the side and confirmed his suspicions, their gaze catching one of a tiny bluenette who was embarassedly hiding behind Charle. "_Wendy._"

"Yes, Wendy. The little girl can't hide nothing from her _older sister_, you know?"

There was no use getting angry at little Wendy when she was already cowering in fear, and the Lightning Mage only groaned and leaned back against the wall. "I should get this over and done with, shouldn't I?"

"Damn right you should, I'm going to get wrinkles just watching you frown!"

Shooting Cana one last glare, Laxus sighed and nodded to his empty tankard on the table. "I'm going to need something sharp for that."

* * *

"Listen up, you idiots!"

The usual din quieted to a pin-drop silence as the members of Fairy Tail watched the youngest Dreyar stagger onto the bar counter, his ears flushed red but his gaze determined. His line of sight focused onto the barmaid in the center of the room, who had her mouth opened in a slight gasped as she took in the sight.

"I have a very important announce- no, _question_ to ask." Laxus said, his stance seemingly unfazed by the attention he was receiving. "I've always been known to _demand_ when I want something, but this time it's going to be different, because she is too important to be ordered about."

Ignoring the gasps and whispers of 'she?' and Lisanna's loud 'oh my god!', Laxus ploughed on.

"I've always secretly admired her for how powerful she is, but it was also thanks to her that I've learned the importance of Fairy Tail's comradeship. She taught me the importance of fighting for my friend, and that true strength lay in family rather than power and might.

"Before I knew it I was wrapped up around her little finger and I was falling deeper for her with each passing moment. I'm beginning to get to know her and want to understand more of her." Taking a deep breath, Laxus stepped down from the table and produced a small bouquet from his coat pocket. He strode up to the girl in question presenting the bouquet with a crooked smile. "And so, Mira, will you go out with me?"

A wide smile blooming across her face and tears shining in her eyes, Mirajane took hold of the bouquet, her slim fingers slowly wrapping around the packaging. She laughed and breathed a yes, jumping to loop her arms around his thick neck. Laxus' smile widened into an ecstatic grin, his usually displeased expression morphing into one of glee and relief instead.

The time they spent enjoying each other's embrace was cut short, however, as a tankard was hurled at the back of Laxus' head and loud laughter echoed through the guild. "Holy shit, that was so cheesy, I think I'm going to puke!" Natsu gagged.

"Natsu…." A dangerous glower directed at the flame mage, Laxus attacked with a punch crackling with lightning, and the more peace-loving female mages of the guild could only shake their heads as they watched the regular guild brawl ensue.

"My, my…" Mirajane laughed, her concern about the infrastructure of the guild hall a mild one as she took a sniff of the bouquet in her hands.

* * *

_**A/N: **Um yes we need meddling Bixanna orchestrating a slightly intoxicated Laxus' confession. I also like to think that Laxus is the most articulate of the male FT dragon slayers…_

_fairyscribe . tumblr . com_


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